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University : Al-Quds University
Tutor(s) : Dr Maha Samman
What makes a place memorable? Is it activity, rituals and experiences, significance, or design? Is memory associated with the difference between dwelling and building, or is our subconscious constantly looking to connect what our forefathers saw in the past with what we see now?
The relation between Architecture and memory is dialectic. As John Ruskin (1849) said: “we cannot remember without architecture.” Memory also gives architecture a significant meaning and allows for greater connection between generations. Hence, the place becomes more of substance than spectacle, consolidates the connection with the past and nourishes its identity.
Our project is based on reviving the essence of memories that Palestinian refugees of Ad-Damun expressed and aspire to convey to the generations for years to come. These memories obtained through interviews, calls, videos, and research were classified into:
Analysis and interventions were based on the revival of this variety of memories mapped on a matrix (see sheet 1 of the project) to translate our concept into an architectural design. The spatial interventions were based on the Architecture of memory associated with the good memories of the prosperity of pre-Nakba Ad-Damun, the architecture of Dark tourism associated with the painful tragic events leading up to the catastrophic depopulation of the village, and Post-disaster reconstruction architecture for the revival of the whole village.
Urban Plan:
Interventions were based on different spatial scales starting with reviving the historical link between Ad-Damun and Acre city, its significance as the regional “food basket” and provider of light industries, and its original spatial mapping. Planning also aimed to serve the expected inhabitants now and the needs of additional local and international tourists.
The eastern part of Highway-70, where people originally lived, is planned as a multifunctional touristic story-telling central area (المحكى: Al-Mahka) and surrounded by a green buffer zone, followed by the new urban area including housing, public and private spaces. Providing all needed spaces for people to live in Ad-Damun today is balanced with the preservation of green and agricultural lands.
West of Highway-70; the Ad-Damun Plain, along Acre road, a recreation path that included tourist, recreational, historical, as well as light industrial and agricultural stations, was planned. These were based on old important attraction points and the significance of the site which includes the aviation and archaeological stations of Tel Kisan and Ain Daouk, the light industrial area of Ad-Damun and the Na’amin River. The two banks of the river are proposed as a rehabilitated central park. The parks and hotels, services and transportation will support this path and serve its activities. 60% of the area is conserved as agricultural lands upholding this distinct identity of Ad-Damun.
The Spatial Distribution of the Story-Teller (Al-Mahka) area:
Located in old Ad-Damun which encompasses memories of past prosperity; the daily trip to Al-Ain, weddings, occasions, religious tolerance, crafts and products that Ad-Damun villagers had in their homes and more, and the painful memories of the blowing-up of the village followed by expulsion along the path of turmoil and many stations of difficulty and humiliation. The two intertwined memories inform what the Storyteller area communicates.
Thus, the area starts from the still existing main street of Kabul to the east into a distribution area with a visitor’s centre and a reception area that has two axes:
The old village structure was revived by distributing the courtyards and important sites while factoring in construction limitations in our buildings, and the architectural language takes into consideration Ad-Damun architectural imprint.
Established in 2012, Tamayouz Excellence Award is an unaffiliated, independent initiative that aims to advance the profession of architecture academically and professionally. Tamayouz is dedicated to supporting aspirational and transformative projects that tackle local and global challenges and that are informed by a holistic understanding of context.